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Hatchbacks Volkswagen Rabbit Volkswagen Rabbit Test Drive Reports
55 messages, Last post on Aug 01, 2009 at 11:36 AM
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Replying to: jjking (Aug 06, 2006 4:51 pm) I'm looking at the Rabbit with 16" rims, ESP, rear side airbags, convenience package for about $27k after tax and destination. The base 5 door GTI is roughly $35k. There lies my decision; I went to testdrive them both this weekend and they were closed.  I was going to ask the dealer if the GTI can be equiped with rear side airbags. Anyone know? What about the gas mileage of the GTI and Rabbit? Roughly the same? |
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My rabbit went about 10.3 L/100 km on first tank with mixed driving. On highway, it is about 7.1 L/100 km. Over all, it is very close to what is advertised. I heard the mileage is only going to be better after a while. |
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As an ex-06 civic owner ( i had the ex) and a current 07 2 door rabbit owner,i can shed a little light on some issues. As far as leg room goes, the rabbit feels more roomy than the civic;maybe not technically, but the civic has such a low cowl and other interior dimension quirks that it seems more cramped, not uncomfortable at all but less than the rabbit. And yes they did actually decrease leg room in the new civic over the previous generation. As far as acceleration goes, the rabbit definitely feels quicker than the civic and it lies in one word: torque. The civics peak torque is 128lbs/ft and it does not get there untill a few revs shy of the 6800 redline. (i think honda claims it hits at 6300) The veedub makes it much earlier and its rated at 170lbs/ft. Despite the weight difference, this actually results in a car that feels more eager around town, but again we are comparing 2 different engines with very different ideas on how to engineer them; high redlines are typical of honda and part of the appeal to them. it is nice having life after 6000 rpms but having drivin hondas for awhile it was reall nice to experience some torque, even if it resides in a 3000 pound vehicle. And for those longing for the gti, welcome to the club. I think that the gti is amazing and will probably get the five door later down the road, but it is quite a bit more expensive. Reason being that many gti's come loaded to the gills and its hard to find one that isn't. The five door gti will be even more costly. IT really depends on your preference. I've always been a gti fan and so my desire to get one will always be strong, but the rabbit is in a different ball park, mind you, still a good one. Plenty of pep and it DOES handle good, maybe not the best handler out there but none the less very nice and even better if you get larger wheels. The gti is a great car, and it does handle better than the rabbit, but i don't think that either one is trying to out do the other. The ride is stiffer, but again one is to assume that if you go for the gti, it's for it's sporting ability. Mileage on both cars is as follows: GTI: 23/32 Rabbit: 22/30 TO some people this makes a big difference but the gti also takes premium. It's engine is smaller, but it also has higher compression ratios and overall more 'alive' i guess you could say. I had a salesman at the dealer tell me you can put lesser fuel into a gti, but the performance goes down and it isn't wonderful for the turbo in the long run. SO again i think it's a wash and personal preference. And as far as too many golf based vw's go, i hardly think the a3 resembles the gti 4 door. They may have a simliar qualities in the sense that they have the same suspension and are 5 door hatchbacks, but the cosmetic differences are so great that no one would confuse them. They drive quite a bit different as well, probably due to the all season tires that come standard on the a3 and the potenza re50's that come on the gti. As far as the gas mileage goes i think that given the weight (as others have pointed out,)it(the rabbit) doesnt do to bad. Plus it is a iron block five cylinder which would account for the lack of gas mileage. I routinely average 26-28 mpg which may sound terrible considering i used to have a civic and it's up to 40mpg figure. That number thought was very subjective ( i had this car for a year so i know the mileage on it like the back of my hand) and around the city i got roughly what i get with the volkswagen. The civic really shone on the highway, albeit the noise level compared to the rabbit, and thats where the mileage would get close, but even then you really have to try to get it and drive carefully and gradually, with no sudden stops or starts or hard acceleration. I thought the mileage overall was great, but it seems that whereas volkswagen burdens an already heavy car with a big engine, honda dumps a small one into a decent sized car. The vw has a bigger gas tank so i'm stil able to go roughly the same distance as my civic on the highway, so it isn't that big of a deal, and it only takes about 3 or four more dollars to fill up all the way than it was my civic. And no i have not been babying the rabbit at all. SO as far as mileage goes i belive its a wash. Many new civic owners have complained about the mileage on thier cars and even though i was never one of them, i think that honda is a little less truthful whereas volkswagen got it just right on the sticker as far as their estimates go. I know they are all tested by the same people but thats just the generalized vibe i have gotten from other honda and volkswagen owners. Lets see what else...oh the ac. Well i can attest that the ac seems fine in my rabbit, much better than the civc. Actually the new civic is notorius for an ac that does not perform well and anyone who ever sat in the back of my civic on a hot day without fail always complained that it never got cooler in the car. If anyone has anything else, i'll be happy to answer to the best of my ability. _EL_DAINO |
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| it seems to me after reasearching other car sites as well as this one, that there are alot of people including myself who have traded in their fairly new honda civic's for a new rabbit.and all of those new rabbit owners who traded in their civic's for new rabbits like i did myself are not regreting their decision.the 1st thing that everyone says is that there is much more room in the rabbit.i agree... | |
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Yeah i'd have to agree that even though my bunny is a 2 door, the back seat and front seat is more spacious. I stil like the way the new civic looks, but the fact that everyone (well at least it seems like everyone) has it now (which its a civic so thats to be expected i know, i just thought the quirky styling would put more people off), is a bit off-putting as it is! I miss certain things about it (i thought the gauges were cool, the rims were nice and i like the whole flat floor back seat. It had slightly better handling, but i dont believe this was due to a superior suspension, but the fact that it rode very low to the floor, at least lower than the rabbit, and was quite a bit lighter with a quicker steering ration.), but the rabbit has so much more personality. I hope that volkwagen has upped thier reliabilty because if they have this car is going to be my buddy for awhile. NO regrets either! 
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I've been looking for a new car to replace my.. gulp... Pontiac Grand Prix.. wife forced me into that one although I must say it has not been a bad experieince. I am looking to downsize though and as such am consideing mostly the Mazda3 GT and Rabbit. I have driven both cars and find them comparable in most respects. I very much like most everything about the Rabbit except the seating which does not really suit me for some reason.. have always had this problem with VWs.. don't know why. That is something I might be able to adjust to.. same for the fuel milage.. Funny, but when you crunch the numbers, and me only doing about 20,000 Kilos a year.. the Rabbit will only save me about $5.00 a week over the 3.8 litre 3600 lb GP !! Go figure! The issue that might stop me from buying the Rabbit though is the steering feel.. or should I say, lack of steering feel. What is going on here ? Electric steering ? WTF ?? I thought German cars were about road feel and communication and feedback.. well guess what,,, not this one ! I have driven the car twice now. The first time I kind of hammered it down a bumpy back road at speed and was quite impressed.. perhaps being up against the stops or whatever made if feel alright.. but the second time I drove it more liesurily on a freeway I noticed that the steering was numb and had very little on center feel... heck my GP with Magnasteer feels way better.. Am I the only one ?? Any thought would be much appreciated. Bernard in Montreal
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Replying to: bernardw (Nov 24, 2006 5:12 pm) I own a vw rabbit and i think i know what you mean about the steering feel. I traded in my 06 honda civic for this car, which had regular rack and pinion steering and i did notice that the rabbit felt a bit different. It feels just as competent on the road as the civic and much more solid, but the steering does feel a litte more vuage, but its also very smooth and never suffers from cold morning stiffness that seemed to always hassle my civic. ( i live in north carolina) The civic si was bestowed with electric power steering, and it was done with the purpose of making the car feel sportier over its other brethren. Many have complained of this car not having good road feel or driver feedback, but is one of the better handling fwd cars on the road and the electric steering serves for lightning fast response, ofcourse this is also influenced by a quicker steering ratio. In short, if you go with the mazda, you will have a nice car that probably has more road feel, and a bit rougher ride, but something that easy to live with. The 3 is known for great handling so you will have a very competent vehicle; and one that you will see much more often driving down the road other than the one you are driving. Which is part of the attraction of the rabbit, its very unique, has lots of personality and even though it may not 'communicate' as well, its a great car and it does handle very very well. I look at the steering as a 'different' feel, because i have no problems making the rabbit do things i could do in the civic or in a mazda 3. I know that gas will be a factor, it is for everyone and while the 3 isn't reall known for its amazing mileage, many people do get great mileage with it...i happen to average more than sticker on my rabbit though and that is a trend that i have seen with other rabbit owners here in this forum and outside of it. I think that although you cant really go wrong with either choice, the rabbit is what i would take. Ive tested both cars (hatchbacks) and the rabbit seemed a bit more upscale of the two. The 3 is very sporty, the rabbit is as well though not as much, but its offset with a very upscale feel, something you'd be hard pressed to find in this segment; since the mazda 3 isn't the only car in its class that is overly sporty; whereas the rabbit to me has a richness about the cabin that is unmatched. I hope i've been some help bernard and good luck with your purchase.
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Replying to: eldaino (Dec 05, 2006 7:24 am) I really do lean towards the Rabbit, steering and all. I have driven it again and did not find the steering as objectional as the last time around. It was a different demo car, the same one in fact that felt good on my first drive. I wonder if the 2 cars have different steering profiles ? As for VW, I have owned a 1962 bug, a 1500S Karman Ghia - check that one out.. rare ! A 1970 bug ragtop, a 411, a 77' rabbit, an early scirocco - great car - an lasly a not so great 92' Golf. So as you can see I am no stranger. My dad sold them for 25 yrs out of Brangate Volks in Brampton Ontario. I am just about ready to sign on the dotted line. Will let you know. Bernard |
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Replying to: bernardw (Dec 05, 2006 7:36 pm)
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Replying to: eldaino (Dec 06, 2006 12:42 pm) |
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